A Golden Hour- hbp
by snowhite67
Summary: Something I felt was missing in the hbp- an beautiful, romantic afternoon Harry and Ginny spend together at Hogwarts


Harry found her buried in her books, sucking away at the bottom of her quill lost in thought in the library.

"Hey Gin," He said. She turned around.

"Hey, I haven't seen you all day!"

"Yeah, Snape's still giving me those lesson." Harry said, scowling.

"Oh yeah. Bloody hell. Literally it sounds like hell." Ginny turned back to her books

Harry moved Ginny's hair away from her neck and stroked the exposed skin.

"Why don't you take a break from studying?"

"I can't Harry, I haven't got a clue why Greedlewolld The Bald was the first Goblin to achieve an Order of Merlin."

Harry kissed her neck. "Sorry Ginny, can't help you with that…"

"It's because he was the only goblin in the 18th century who didn't consider all wizards to be scum and he ended up starting Gringotts bank as a way of helping fix the connections between wizards and goblins." Hermione's voice came from a few bookcases away. Harry and Ginny jumped.

"Hermione!" Ginny sat up. "You can't eavesdrop!"

"Harry, you can't keep distracting Ginny from her studies! She needs to focus on her OWLs right now." Hermione said, joining them.

Harry started to apologize, but Ginny interrupted. "Hermione, thank you for your concern but I'm perfectly prepared for my OWLs thank you. C'mon Harry," She said, and pulled Harry with her out of the library.

"You don't know who Greedlewolld the Bald was!" Hermione called after them.

Once in the hallway, they both started to laugh.

"She's taken to spying on people in the library to attack them with information- what's going to become of our friend, Harry?" Ginny laughed.

"Just be grateful it wasn't a full blast of SPEW- got one of those a couple hours ago." Harry said, grinning.

"How horrible," Ginny jumped on Harry from behind and hung on to his neck. "Let's do something fun, I can't study another minute!"

Laughing, Harry carried her out onto the grounds. They collapsed on the grass on top of each other, still laughing. And then they were kissing and for a while, forgot about all the world and its cares.

They lay next to each other, Harry's arm under her head, and watched the other students who had come out to the grounds do their studying.

Stroking her hair, Harry realized something.

"Ginny, you know my mum had red hair as well?"

"Did she?" Ginny smiled. "I'm sure we'd have gotten on pretty well then."

"I'm sure she would think the world of you, like I do."

Ginny rolled over and kissed him softly.

"Okay, not _quite_ like I do."

She smiled into his shoulder.

"Harry do you think you would be different, if they hadn't- you know?"

Harry looked up at the cloudless sky. "I don't know. I wouldn't be famous, for a start- and then I wouldn't have gotten the attention of a certain beautiful girl."

Ginny sat up, laughing. "You're so stupid."

They lay there together for a few moments, perfectly content to just be with each other in peaceful silence.

"Come on," Ginny stood up suddenly. "Lets go flying!" She tugged Harry up and towards the quidditch field.

Ginny wanted to fly his firebolt. "See you never," She said, climbing onto the shining broomstick.

She shot off into the air. Harry watched her red hair flowing behind her, slowly disappearing into a speck in the sky, and wondered how he'd gotten so lucky.

He didn't have long to contemplate this- she returned in a flash, so quickly Harry didn't even see her coming- and suddenly she was in front of him.

"Come on!" She called. She tugged Harry onto the broom in front of her.

"Is it safe for two people to ride one broom?" Harry asked, turning around to look at her.

"Is it safe to fly a stick into the sky? Go on, Harry! Show me you can fly!"

So he shot upwards. Ginny shrieked in delight- they were speeding around the castle, over the lake, and there was Hogsmead-

Ginny let go of the broom and hugged him from behind. They went faster and faster around the grounds, Ginny laughing into his back. Adrenaline coursing through him, Harry felt as light as air- lighter- and happier than he'd ever thought possible.

Harry slowed and brought the broom towards the top of the castle. On top of the tallest tower was a small flat surface- he flew them towards it and jumped off the broom.

"Bloody hell," whispered Ginny in awe as she climbed off the broom.

The view was like nothing Harry had ever seen. The mountains were glowing red in the fiery light of the setting sun, and the lake looked like a small shining puddle from where they were. They were so high up, they could not even make out the quidditch field.

Harry pulled Ginny down next to him.

"Harry, this is-"

"Incredible, isn't it?"

Ginny shook her head. "I've never seen anything quite so beautiful."

Harry put his arm around her and she leaned into him, resting her head on his chest. He buried his head in her hair, breathing her in, feeling at peace with the world.

"I love you Ginny," Harry whispered in her ear. "You know I do."

She turned around, eyes full of tears. "And you know I love you too."

"I know."

Ginny breathed a shaky breath, then kissed him, and Harry kissed her back, and it was somehow different than any of their previous kisses- it was full of emotion.

"I don't care what anyone says," said Ginny, wiping away her tears. "I don't care that we've only been together a few weeks."

Harry laughed, and kissed her tear-stained cheek. "I know this is crazy. But I've never been happier in my whole life Ginny- you make me happier than I've ever been. And what I feel- what I know you feel- this is real, Ginny. I don't care that we're young."

She nodded, and hugged him tightly. "I love you," she whispered again.

They sat there watching the sun set over the mountains until the sky was completely dark. Then they silently got back on the broom and returned to the castle. When they reached the common room, it was almost completely empty.

Harry walked her to the bottom of the staircase.

"Good night," He whispered, wrapping her in a hug.

She looked up at him, her eyes telling him all he wanted to know. They kissed softly and slowly, then she headed up the staircase, looking back ever few steps and smiling at Harry, who stood watching her go. I love you, he mouthed at her when she turned around for the last time. She blew him a kiss then disappeared around the corner.


End file.
